Hey everyone!

We’re starting something new: real conversations across borders. Politics, economy, culture — from Tehran to Washington, Berlin and London.

We’ll be sitting down with scholars and change-makers to talk about the big stuff.

Stay tuned! First episode drops soon.

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🎥 The Iran Nuclear Issue: Can Negotiations Succeed?
A Debate between Robert Einhorn and Nasser Hadian

🔺 Nasser Hadian: A legal solution can’t address our concern about a sustainable nuclear deal. Even if a new deal becomes a treaty through Congress, there’s always the possibility of withdrawal. What can help us more is keeping the extra uranium inside Iran, sealed and controlled under the supervision of the IAEA. That would deter a future U.S. president much more than a treaty. An even more important factor is economic investment inside Iran. To make that happen, the U.S. needs to change its primary sanctions.

🔻 Robert Einhorn: In the original JCPOA negotiations, the U.S. had to make a trade-off between limits on Iran’s enrichment capacity and the duration of those limits. The trade-off, from the U.S. perspective, prioritized strict limits over longer duration. In a new agreement, those priorities should be reversed. It’s more important that the duration of any measures be permanent—or at the very least, long-term.


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The discussion on US-Iran nuclear talks between Robert Einhorn from Brookings Institute, the Secretary of State’s Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control during the Obama Administration and a member of the US Delegation to the P5+1 talks with Iran (2009–2013), and Nasser Hadian, a University of Tehran professor and a prominent, respected Iran expert on nuclear issues, marks the first public conversation between an American and an Iranian on nuclear matters.

This is the first such debate organized by Azad, and the first substantive and technical public exchange between an American and an Iranian on topics such as legal concerns, the stockpile reserves, enrichment and time limits, sanctions relief and waivers, and more.

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🎥 The US Will Not Decline
From Azad archive

🔺 Noam Chomskey: Despite decades of talk, the US is not declining. It still dominates in military power and global corporate wealth. The war in Ukraine was a gift—it weakened Russia and pushed Europe deeper under US influence. And now, the US is building military alliances to contain China.

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🎥 Nuclear Weapon is Suicidal for Iran
From Azad archive

🔺Noam Chomskey: If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, it’s not a deterrent—it’s a call for destruction. The US and Israel would destroy Iran the moment it moved in that direction. The only viable path is a nuclear weapons-free zone in the region, supported globally but blocked by the US and Israel.

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🎥 US & the Changing Middle East
From Azad archive

🔺Noam Chomskey: The Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iran agreement is breaking the US-Saudi-Israeli regional system. The US and Israel are desperate. Gulf states moving toward China—and the Global South refusing to align with the US—signal a major shift in global power.

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🎥 Elements of a New US-Iran Deal
From Azad archive

🔺Nasser Hadian: A treaty won’t stop future U.S. withdrawal. Sealing enriched uranium inside Iran under IAEA control is a stronger deterrent.

🔻Robert Einhorn: To avoid conflict, we need longer breakout time, restored IAEA access, and sanctions relief. A deal is possible—if both sides focus.

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Azad’s international debates are returning.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll publish conversations with distinguished Iranian and international scholars, policymakers, and leading voices on Iran, the region, and the wider world.

Serious questions, different perspectives, and conversations worth hearing.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay tuned for new episodes:

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The New York Times on Azad: the story, the criticisms, and our responses.

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🎥 U.S. & Iran: Another Round of War?

🔶 A Debate Between Nasser Hadian and Gary Samore

Professor Gary Samore is the Professor of the Practice of Politics at Brandeis University, a leading expert on U.S. national security policy. He served in various administrations as White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction. He also previously served as President of United Against Nuclear Iran.

Professor Nasser Hadian is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Tehran. For decades, his work has focused on Iran-U.S. relations, the strategies of both countries, and Iran’s nuclear program. He is also an important figure in Track II diplomacy and informal dialogue between Iran and the United States.

🔻Nasser Hadian: “I’m optimistic about the future. Of course, the United States violated the MOU, and we have also demonstrated our will and capability to close the Strait of Hormuz. So, they should talk to each other and say, “Let’s stop this.” Iran and the United States can reach a deal. What Trump wants is a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Instead of diluting our stockpile of enriched uranium, let’s give him what he wants. Then he can claim that he has achieved something no other president before him has achieved. But in return, we should ask him for much more. It is not just going to be about sanctions relief.”

🔺Gary Samore: “I’m not optimistic about the future. So far, Iran or at least the factions that control the government has shown little interest in such a compromise. As far as I can tell, the dominant view within the Iranian government is to insist on Iranian control of the Strait, something that is unacceptable to the United States and the other countries involved. The remaining nuclear issues are relatively easy to resolve, but there is not much political will in either Tehran or Washington to resolve them. I think, for now, the cycle of conflict will continue.”

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🎥 U.S. - Iran Relations: Past, Present, and Future

🔶 A Debate Between Foad Izadi and Ray Takeyh

Dr. Ray Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a scholar of the history of Iran–U.S. relations and U.S. policy toward Iran.
Prof. Foad Izadi is a professor of American Studies at the University of Tehran. His work focuses on U.S.–Iran relations and American foreign policy.

Ray Takeyh: Since the 1979 Revolution, Iran’s senior leaders have not sought normal relations with the United States. Both Iran and the United States have a history of tense relations that has hindered the establishment of peaceful ties between them. Nevertheless, examples such as the Vietnam War should not be overlooked. Three million Vietnamese and 57,000 Americans were killed, yet the United States and Vietnam ultimately managed to reach an agreement. One of the factors that has consistently prevented a “grand bargain” between Iran and the United States is the Iranian political system’s inability to reach a consensus on this issue at the highest levels of decision-making.

Foad Izadi: Negotiations between Iran and the United States have always been conducted with the approval of Iran’s Supreme Leader, yet the history of Iran–U.S. relations shows that the United States has not been seriously interested in improving relations. During the presidency of Hashemi Rafsanjani, an effort was made to develop a mechanism for normalizing relations with the United States. The Iranians decided to invite major American oil companies to invest in Iran and sign contracts with them. However, the Israeli lobby brought about a situation in which not only was the presence of American companies in Iran restricted, but Iranian oil was also sanctioned for the first time.

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